Boltless rail joint



W. DEPEW BOLTLESS RAIL JOINT Figgi Nov. 2

May 20 1924.

3 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

I N V EN TOR.

May 20 1924.

W. DEPEW BOLTLESS RAIL JOINT Filed Nov. 24, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

INVEN TOR.

nominees RAIL Jomr' Application filed November 24, 1928." 7 Serial No. 678,801.

. To all whom 2'25 may concem:

Be it lrnown'that 1, WILLIAM Dsrnw, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Pequamin in the county or Barrage and State of ichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Boltless Rail Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. 7

This invention relates to railway construction, particularly to rail joints, and has for its ob ect the provision of a novel joint construction including a combined plate and splice bars held together without the use of bolts or other similar securing devices, the parts being so constructed and arranged as to prevent longitudinal creeping of the rails while permitting the inevitable expansion and contraction caused by changes in temperature. An important and more specific object is the provision of a joint of this character in which 'thebase or plat'e'is equipped with spring catches whichwill automatically engage the fails when they are dropped into place and which will lock the rails so that upward displacement will be prevented, the

distinct feature of advantage being that the rails may be removed for end to end reversal or "for any other reason after releasa ing thssoring catches. I

An additional object is the provision of-a structure of this character which will be simple and inexpensive tomanufacture, easy to assemble, ri id in its holding action,.effi'- cient and dam is in service,- and a genera improvement in the art. a

W'ith'the above and other obieots and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter v more fully described and'claimed, and illustreated in the accompanying drawings in of Figure 1;

which:--

Figure 1 is a side elevation or the assembled joint structure;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof; Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on the line M Figure 1;

F tie it is a. cross section on the line H Figure 5 is a perspective-view showing the end of one rail section;-

Fi "use 6 is s. perspective View oithe base mea er Idigurc i a perspective view of one of the spring catches removed. 1

". Lesser nnrnw, or rEecAmmc,

18 whichfit between the bars 13 and th'a ad-i than-the lugs to traction of the, rolls under the influ oi heat and cold. I

anemone.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral'IO designates the base of the device which is rectangular in shape and elongated in form so as to extend over two ties A, this plate being provided at its edges with notches 11 at which points spikes B are driven through for the purpose of securin the base to the ties. At its longitud-inov edges this base is' thickened to define up; standing side flanges '12 which are prefer ably beveled downwardly and outwardly] j Rising from' the upper surface of the'base and formed integrally therewith are bar members 13 which are spaced apart a dis? W tance equal to the thickness "of the {web of a rail of standard pattern. "Thesebar members terminate short of the ends o'ffthc base and they are also spaced from thefside flanges 12 todefine channels 14:; Between the bars 13 the base is shown as foriiied with a longitudinal slot 15 so as to prevent the accumulation of any "water-or the like which might see in between the various elements of the joint structure. At their upper edges the bar members are formed near their ends with lugs 16 whichare pref? erably outwardly and downwardly beveled as shown. d The letter C designates the rail sections to be connected and these are of the saline cross sectional confi oration as the ordinary" I or standard mi and diiier therefrom only in the specific formation of the ends. actual practice the'rails C might be standard rails modified by a comparatively srnall- 1 change though it is naturally preferable that use be made of rails which are initially? formed for use in conjunction'with the base and splice bar ortion of the device. meeting ends 0 the rails liave .their bases-;

cut away at opposite sides of thewebs to, a

define slots 17 of a width to receive theinr-x dividual'bar members 13, the/webs them-3 selves being received between the bar's; The" 100 formation of these slots 17 .defines tongue s ja'centflanges12. y a v To prevent" long tu'dinal'creepm%; there lsare formed on t e under sides oft e'lr trestl ml portions with recesses 19 which substantially '31 conformingly engage upon the in 16 there of., These recesses should be shgtlylonger' permit expansion and con-i Instead of 'us ing bolts which are cornfig 1,495,003

monly provided in rail joint structures, I make use of a plurality of spring catches 20 which are suitably anchored within the base and which are accommodated within recesses 21 in the confronting edges of the flanges l2, these catches having shoulders 22 on a line with the upper edges of the flanges.

I In assembling the parts, the base 10 is spiked down to the proper place upon the ties A and the rails are simply dropped into place on-thebase member, the webs entering between the bar members 13 and the tongues 18 entering the channels 14. Ordinarily the catches 20 are in such position that they overhang the channels but' as,

their upper ends are inclined upwardly and outwardly as shown at 23, it is apparent that when the rails are dropped into place the catches will first he forcedoutwardly by the engagement of the tongues 18 therewith and will then snap into place with the shoulders engaging over the tongues, there by holding the rails against upward disiii the recesses 19 as above described and prevent anylonp'itudinal movement of the rails. 7

Fromthe "foregoing description and a study of the drawings, it will be apparent that I have thus provided a highly eilicient and'yet inexpensive rail joint; which avoids the use of the ordinary fish plates and bolts and which is superior to the ordinary construction in every way particularly incase of assembling.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will, not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is 1. A rail joint structure comp-rising a base formed with upstanding flanges at its longitudinal edges, spaced bar members risingfrom the base in spaced relation to said flanges, rails disposable upon thevbase between said flanges and having their base portions slotted for the accommodation oi said bar members, means for preventing ongitudinal creeping of the rails with re spec? to the base, and means for holding the rails upon the base,'said first named means including upstanding lugs formed on -the upper edges of the bar membersand seating acement. The lugs 16 are received withwithin corresponding recesses formed in the under sides of the tread portions of the rails.

2. A rail ,joint structure comprising a base formed with upstanding flanges at its longitudinal edges, spaced bar members rising from the base in spaced relation to said flanges, rails disposable upon the base between said flanges and having their base portions slotted for the accommodation of said bar members, means for preventing longitudinal creeping of the rails with re-- spect to the base, means for holding the .rails upon the base, said last named means comprising a plurality of spring catches anchored in the base at said flanges and having overhanging shoulders adapted toengage upon the rail. bases.

3; A rail joint structure comprising a base formed with upstandinp flanges at its longitudinal edges, spaced bar n'iembers'rising'irom the base in spaced relation to said flanges, rails disposable upon the base between said flanges and having their base portions slotted for the accommodation of said bar members and means for holding the rails upon the base comprising a plurality of sg'iring'catches anchored in the base to define channels, lugs on the upper edges of the bar members, spring catches anchored in the biise and accommodated within re- 'cesses in said flanges, the rails having their meeting end slottedat opposite sides of the webs for the accommodation of said. bar members, said. slots defining t ngues received within said channels and ngaged by said catches, the tread portions of the rails beingiormed on their under sides with re ccsses receiving said lugs;

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

WILLIAM DEPEW. 

